Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Bombay High Court at Goa has signalled its intention to move ahead with the State government’s appeal against the acquittal of former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal without unnecessary delays, nearly five years after the challenge was first filed.
During a hearing on Thursday, a Division Bench of Justice Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamsandekar made it clear that the proceedings should not be repeatedly postponed. The observation came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Goa government, requested that the matter be heard without interruptions caused by frequent adjournment requests.
Appearing virtually, Mehta informed the court that the State would shortly submit a consolidated summary of the evidence forming the basis of its appeal. According to him, the document would assist the Bench in examining the case more efficiently.
The court was also informed that counsel for Tejpal had sought access to the paper book containing the case records. The Bench directed that the relevant documents be made available to the defence.
While rescheduling the matter for hearing next week, the court agreed to the State’s request that the case be given priority in the cause list.
The appeal stems from the Goa government’s challenge to a 2021 trial court judgment that cleared Tejpal of charges linked to allegations of rape and sexual assault made by a former colleague during an event in Goa in 2013.
In previous hearings, the State has argued that the trial court failed to correctly assess key evidence and did not adequately apply legal safeguards introduced to protect complainants in sexual offence cases. The prosecution has maintained that the judgment reflected outdated assumptions regarding how victims of sexual assault are expected to behave.
The State has further contended that aspects of the trial court’s reasoning placed undue emphasis on the complainant’s conduct rather than focusing on the allegations and evidence presented before the court.
The High Court is expected to continue hearing the appeal next Thursday, when the State’s summary of evidence is likely to be placed on record as part of the ongoing proceedings.
